A short book (under 200 pages) but it felt longer. At times reading it was like wading through treacle .... lots of description of running a tea shop and the life of it's owner, Vivian. Then suddenly the story came to an end . The scene is set well and life in Misty Bay is in some ways old fashioned, every one seems to know every one else. Then the body of the ex husband of one of Vivian's assistants is found on the beach below the modern hotel. Did his ex wife kill him ? It looks as if she is the main suspect.
The police investigation is rarely mentioned, instead we get the tea shop ladies running around talking to people of interest . Why ? In the meantime they are running the sucessful tea shop. Sometimes the description of making sandwiches and tea gets repetetive. Having been married to a lawyer, Vivian sees herself as a sleuth and introduces herself as a counsellor, which could be interpreted in a number of ways. That people involved in the case then disclose a lot of information left me scratching my head .
In some ways I can see that readers would be charmed by the old fashioned style of the book. May be I am too much of a realist to enjoy this book. OK, but not really a crime novel, more of a who dunnit where the outcome is fairly predictable.
Thank you to Net galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Misty Bay Tearoom series debut.

Vivian Wainwright who owns the Misty Bay Tearoom is living the life she wants on the Oregon coast. On the second anniversary of the shop’s anniversary her dreams could be shattered when a man falls to his death from the hotel balcony.

Dan Ramsey the man who fell is the ex-husband of Vivian’s assistant, Jenna. Detective Tony Messina suspects Jenna of the murder, because she was seen leaving the hotel before the murder.

Vivian and Gracie set out to find the real killer, using criminology that Vivian picked up from her late lawyer husband. Detective Messina starts have feelings for his prime suspect, but he still has questions that need to be answered like who’s clothes was Dean wearing when he took his fall?

Hal Douglas, Vivian’s pet shop friend and owner seems to have knowledge that could add a list of suspects including his own. If Vivian doesn’t work fast it could mean Jenna could face a murder charge or something worse.

I loved this book. I liked how Vivian went about solving the mystery and the location came alive for me. I can’t wait for the next book in this series. Be sure to check this book out you won’t be disappointed.

In Hot Water by Kate Kingsbury is a really fun cozy mystery.

In this story, a body falls from a balcony at the Blue Surf Hotel. The problem is not really that a body falls from a six-story floor. The problem is the victim, Jenna's ex-husband is wearing a pink negligee. Of course, they are going to look at Jeena first so she needs to find out who the real killer is before it's too late.

Well-crafted characters and enough twists and turns to keep you interested. Can't wait for the next book.

In Hot Water is the debut of the Misty Bay Tearoom series set in Misty Bay, Oregon and featuring tearoom owner Vivian Wainwright. Vivian runs the Willow Pattern Tearoom along with her friends Jenna Ramsey and Gracie Jackson and the trio is looking forward to hosting the shop's second anniversary celebration.

A body plummets six stories from a balcony at the Blue Surf Hotel dressed only in a pink negligee. The body belongs to a man and that man is none other than Jenna's ex-husband Dean Ramsey. When Detective Lieutenant Tony Messina learns that the divorce was contentious, that Dean owed Jenna quite a bit of money and she was seen leaving the hotel earlier in the morning he's quick to label her the prime suspect. Knowing that her friend is not a killer, Vivian sets out with the ladies to find out who really murdered the man.

An enjoyable read with an interesting mix of characters. For me, it was pretty obvious from the start the killer's identity. There are a few character background discrepancies, an unresolved question and a glaring typo that while distracted don't take away from the overall plot. I really hope that in future installments Vivian spends more time with Felix, as the fact that she adopted the dog but then locks him up alone in her apartment while she wanders around really was a huge NO NO for me.

I received an advanced edition of In Hot Water from NetGalley via Crooked Lane Books. While not required to write a review I am happy to offer my honest opinion.

A good cozy mystery set in coastal Oregon. Vivian runs an English style tea shop, along with her assistant Jenna and helper Gracie. When Jenna’s ex-husband is found murdered she is moved to the number one suspect. Luckily she has Vivian to help solve the crime. Highly recommend this book and author.

I loved this cozy mystery. Vivian owns the Misty Bay Tearoom, a British style tea shop. She loves to read mysteries and is thrilled when her best friend and co-worker ends up in a dilemma that makes the town think she killed her ex-husband. Vivian, Grace and Jenna band together as detectives determined to prove that Jenna is innocent. I followed the clues in the book and yet was surprised at the ending. That in my books is a great mystery! This is the first book I've read by Kate Kingsbury but it for sure won't be the last!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kate Kingsbury/Crooked Lane Books for allowing me this early look at this arc.

cozy mystery friendship, law-enforcement, amateur-sleuth, small-business, small-town, escort-service, situational-humor****

Jenna had an unfortunate childhood, and now appears to be the prime suspect in her ex-husband's apparent murder. One of her best friends is Vivian, the widow of an attorney who runs a tea shoppe and is determined to find out who really did the deed and seems to have a knack for it. Gracie is the third musketeer and cheers on the others. Along the way they discover that their town has an escort service and the dead man was probably a co-owner. The next problem is death threats. All along they do not involve the police detective who seems unconvinced of Jenna's innocence. It's a good story and think that the series will get better with each new book.
I requested and received a free temporary ebook from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

Vivian is the owner of Misty Bay Tearoom on the Oregon coast. Along with her employees, Jenna and Gracie, Vivian makes endless pots of tea, bakes lots of scones and serves happy customers.
Life is good until Jenna's ex-husband is found dead on the rocks below the 6th floor balcony of the Blue Surf Hotel where he worked as Head of maintenance. The body is clothed in a sheer, pink negligee! The new police detective zeros in on Jenna as the likely suspect since she was seen in the hotel lobby on the morning the body was discovered.
The tearoom trio, unhappy with the direction of the investigation, set out to prove Jenna innocent.
In Hot Water is the first in a new series by Kingsbury. She also writes the Merry Ghost Inn series also set in Oregon. I delighted in her Victorian era Pennyfoot Hotel series for years until it was laid to rest.
While this new series shows promise, the debut title has problems that should have been caught by the editor.
1- We're told Jenna grew up in a Texas Border town. Her mother died and her father went to prison for abusing her brother. Yet, she lives on a cliff side house inherited from her parents.
2 - Police take Jenna's DNA but never tell her it exonerates her.
3 - It's only late in the story that we discover the victim died from hitting his head on the corner of a marble table and was then thrown over the balcony.
4 - In Chapter 15 a character is called by the surname of another character.
5 - .Biggest issue - why the victim came to be wearing the pink negligee is never explained even though it was a big part of the plot.
Looking forward to the next entry in the series with hopes of better editing. There are budding romances and recipes so it's not all bad.

Vivian Wainwright is living her dream. The middle-aged widow owns the Misty Bay Tearoom, a quaint, English-accented shop on the Oregon coast. The first one in this series was a great way to get to know a new cast of characters. I enjoyed it and am looking forward to more adventures.
#InHotWater #NetGalley

Promising new series from one of my favorite authors. Vivian Wainwright is a likable character. The plot moves smoothly with lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end. Looking forward to the next. Thanks #netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

Turning Amateur Sleuth....
The Misty Bay Tea Room series debut and Vivian Wainwright, tea shop owner, finds herself turning amateur sleuth when a man falls to his death from a hotel balcony and assistant Jenna turns number one suspect. Enjoyable cosy mystery with a likeable protagonist and a colourful cast of supporting characters. A promising start to a new series.

I received this book for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

So much fun! I couldn't put this cozy down. I finished at 2:00am. Great cast of characters in great escapism which is what I always look for in my books.

Promising debut I have hope it’ll improve as a series. The supporting characters can be developed upon. I didn’t find it as predictable as some can be in this genre.

This book is a solid 3 stars for me; an intriguing debut for a new series, but I’m hoping it’ll get better as it goes along. The mystery portion was good, our lead sleuth seems like she’s mostly got a good head in her shoulders, but her posse of employees/fellow sleuths are a mixed bag. So far they seem a bit too much and a bit abrasive, but I’m hoping they’ll smooth out in the next few books. I thought it was interesting how she switched up perspectives occasionally, but this isn’t really a page turner for me.

In Hot Water by Kate Kingsbury was an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. Dr. Tony Messina tries to figure out what happened to the guy who fell off the sixth floor balcony of the Blue Sun Hotel. The guy had on a bright pink negligee that only covered some of his body. Vivian Wainwright own The Willow Pattern, an English Tea Shop. Her friend, Jenna Ramsey, is her assistant and consultant. She was divorced from Dean, the guy who died. The detective believes Jenna killed her husband. This was a great book. I loved the storyline and hated to put it down. Kate Kingsbury is a wonderful author. I plan on checking out some of her other books.

I was given a e-copy of this book for a honest review.
I was really excited to read this book. It is my first by Kate Kingsbury and will not be my last.
This book follows Vivian, Jenna and Gracie on their adventure to solve a murder.
Vivian is a middle age widow that owns a Tearoom in Misty Bay on the Oregon Coast. Jenna and Gracie both work for Vivian and they enjoy a quiet, happy life until the peace turns into a nightmare when a dead body is found outside a hotel.
The body was Jenna's ex husband and she is accused of murder. I am not going to say to much more as I don't want to spoil it for future readers. I will say however that the rest of the book follows their adventures as they try to figure out who really did it. This is truly a excellent cozy mystery!
I would highly recommend this for a cozy, enjoyable murder mystery.

This book was sent to me by Netgalley on Kindle for review...Although there is an intriguing mystery to solve, the characters don’t seem to interact in a way that moves the story quickly...this was not a page turner but others may enjoy the story. It is character driven and the read might wonder who really did the murder or was it murder?

The Willow Pattern tea house is getting ready to celebrate their second anniversary and Vivian Wainwright’s dream of owning a tea house has been fulfilled. Her two assistants, Jenna and Gracie, are like daughters to her. When Jenna’s ex husband is murdered and the police view her as the primary suspect, the three women agree to find who killed the man so that Jenna doesn’t get put away for a crime she didn’t commit. Vivian’s heart is in the right place, but will they save Jenna or doom all three of themselves for interfering in a police investigation…or even face the wrath of the murderer?

I really liked Kate’s Merry Ghost Inn series and was sorry not to see a new entry for awhile. Then I came across the first book in a new series from this author and was really excited. She didn’t let me down either! I really like the protagonist and her posse. This series has great promise and I cannot wait for the continued development of the characters and the whodunits to come.

This is a cute cozy mystery and one I enjoyed very much. The characters are feisty and fun. The plot and mystery were both very well written and some nice twists and turns that keeps the reader guessing until the very end. A promising debut for a new series and more to come I hope!!

I was really excited to get started on In Hot Water by Kate Kingsbury.
Vivian is a good character, she’s very likable and has a good sense of humor.
I enjoyed the mystery, I was able to follow some of the clues, but the ending was still a surprise.
I’m looking forward to reading more books in this series.

#InHotWater #NetGalley